Factors contributing to the successful mentorship of women in the South African construction industry

Abstract

This study examines factors contributing to the successful mentorship of women in the South African construction industry. Mentorship is used as a tool to advance women in organisations, because they have experienced difficulties progressing in their careers in the past. Even though women are in mentorship programmes, they still receive less mentorship functions than their counterparts. As a result, women have limited advancement in the construction industry due to factors affecting their successful mentorship. This study identifies and examines the factors contributing to the successful mentorship of women. The objectives of this study were to: (1) test the extent of the influence that the psychosocial mentoring function has on the successful mentorship of women; (2) test the extent of the influence of the career mentoring function on the successful mentorship of women; (3) determine whether the age, gender and race of the mentor-mentee have an impact on the successful mentorship of women; (4) examine the perception of the impact of the entrepreneurial ability of women on the mentorship programme; and (5) to determine whether the mentorship of female mentees is affected by the attitudes of mentors. An in-depth pilot study was carried out during the initial stages of the study to gain more insight about the study. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews from female mentees in the Western Cape Province. Data was analysed by content analysis. Findings revealed that the gender and the race of mentors did not have an impact on the success of the female mentees’ mentorship. The age of mentors did impact on knowledge gain. Female mentees reported having open and positive relationships with their mentors. A survey study approach was adopted in the main study. A purposive sampling of female mentees and their mentors was selected. Data was gathered in South Africa. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Findings revealed that the psychosocial mentoring characteristics and career mentoring characteristics that influence the successful mentorship of women are role modelling, counselling, acceptance-and-confirmation, coaching and providing challenging tasks. It also emerged that the age and race of female mentees did not have an influence on the successful mentorship of women and that the successful mentorship of women is not affected by the attitude of mentors. It was found that mentors have positive attitudes towards the mentorship of women and that this is contributing positively to the

successful mentorship of women in the South African construction industry. The study also revealed that female mentees are high performers, whose knowledge and productivity has increased in the work place. The study therefore concludes that the mentorship of female mentees in the construction industry is successful. It is recommended that females in the construction industry should register themselves to mentorship organisations such as SAWIC, especially those who are not mentored.